Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
A viral screenshot of a Baker Mayfield Seattle Seahawks jersey floating around the internet has sparked speculation that a trade involving the Cleveland Browns quarterback could be near.
A photo of the jersey from the Seahawks Pro Shop website quickly went viral amid rumors that Mayfield could land with the NFC West squad. While some were quick to accept it was a slip-up by the store as it braced for a Mayfield move, Pro Football Talk appeared to be the first media outlet to claim it had sniffed out the photo as a fake.
This “accidental” Baker Mayfield jersey listing on the Seahawks shop is fake.
Also Diggs is number 6.
The troll who created the fake Pro Shop page did a good job of swapping out the text and nameplate, but the jerseys in the bottom left show that the shot is actually of Quandre Diggs‘ No. 6 uniform. And Diggs — a Pro Bowl safety — has been fairly clear that if a Mayfield trade went down, he wouldn’t want to give up his number.
Seahawks Have ‘High Level’ of Interest in Mayfield Trade
Though the jersey was a fake, the interest from the Seahawks in Mayfield seems real, with Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reporting on June 23 that there’s mutual interest between the sides in getting a deal done.
That came on the heels of a report from Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, who said Seattle was still interested in making a splash for the displaced Browns QB.
“I’m told the Seahawks still have a high-level of interest in acquiring QB Baker Mayfield and behind-the-scenes are open to contractually extending him,” she tweeted on June 22. “I also know that the process of collecting information and insights into Mayfield is still ongoing.”
The Seahawks are currently looking at Drew Lock or Geno Smith for the starting QB role after shipping Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March in a blockbuster move. Smith — a second-round pick in the 2013 draft — is believed to be the leader in the clubhouse for the role. He stepped in last year when Russell Wilson was injured and went 1-2, averaging only 26 pass attempts and 190 passing yards per game.
Lock was a second-round pick of the Broncos in 2019 but never found his footing in Denver. He’s 8-13 as a starter in the NFL and averages 197.5 passing yards per game.
Mayfield Ready to Move on From Browns
The Browns have been trying to find a trade partner for Mayfield for most of the offseason. However, the sticking point in negotiations has been Mayfield’s near $19 million salary for next season, which teams have been pushing the Browns to take on the majority of.
But the quarterback drama doesn’t stop at Mayfield for the Browns. His replacement, Deshaun Watson, could face a full-year suspension, which has left some to believe that Mayfield staying put as the starter could be the best-case scenario for all involved.
Enterering the final year of his deal, Mayfield would get one more chance to prove he’s a viable starter in an offense he knows. And the Browns would rely on a familiar face, rather than veteran Jacoby Brissett.
However, Mayfield doesn’t sound too keen on the idea.
“I think for that to happen there would have to be some reaching out,” Mayfield told reporters during his youth football camp on Tuesday. “But we’re ready to move on, I think — on both sides.”